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In The Winery

Cross-Contamination and

the Winery Cellar

By: Thomas J. Payette, Winemaking Consultant
C ross-contamination is something we have biology one keenly becomes aware of the principals

all been made aware because of the food
of cross-contamination.
industry. We have learned that using the
same plate to take food to the grill as well as to An everyday less seen example outside the food
serve food from the grill, prior to proper cleaning, industry is easy to illustrate. After using the rest
may result in a salmonella outbreak causing dis- room we wash our hands diligently only to turn
comfort to many. Using a cutting board to prepare around and place our hand on the door handle to
a meat or fish and then to cut a vegetable for a exit the rest room. At that instant we have con-
salad may result in similar reactions due to a bacte- taminated our hand with microorganisms from
rial contamination from an uncooked meat source other individuals that have placed their hands on
to a product eaten raw. Once one focuses on these the same door handle prior to us. Perhaps we have
same principals and perhaps has training in micro- all seen the individual that continues to use the

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